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Melo to NYC Closer than you think!

Carmelo Anthony still on Knicks' radarEmail Print Comments229 By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
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NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks have made significant progress in recent days in their efforts to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets, a source told ESPN.com Tuesday.

After a period of dormancy following the collapse of a four-team trade late last month between New Jersey, Denver, Utah and Charlotte, the Knicks got back in on the bidding about two weeks ago after Anthony made it known to the Nuggets that he would not budge on his refusal to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension with Denver.

Anthony

The offers the Knicks have proposed have always centered around packages including Anthony Randolph, the expiring contract of Eddy Curry and a first-round draft pick they would acquire from a third team, and New York has softened its stance on including forward Danilo Gallinari in a trade.

The most recent obstacle, according to the source, was for the Knicks to use one of those assets, likely Randolph or Gallinari, to acquire a player from a third team that the Nuggets value more highly than either of the Knicks forwards. The source said that obstacle can now be overcome, with the Knicks confident they can get their hands on a player the Nuggets would prefer.

The source also cautioned that the Chicago Bulls remained in the Melo mix, although the contract extension Chicago reached earlier this month with Joakim Noah would preclude him from being included in any deal the Bulls would put together for Anthony.

Also, New Jersey has faded from the Anthony sweepstakes, growing disinclined to include rookie Derrick Favors in a trade, a league source told ESPN.com's J.A. Adande.

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There were no concrete indications regarding whether the Nuggets were inclined to deal Anthony prior to the opening of the regular season next week. But the rekindling of trade talks two weeks ago coincided with the Nuggets' hiring of salary-cap specialist Pete D'Alessandro.

The Knicks have had their sights on Anthony since losing out over the summer in their free-agent pursuit of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. They remain determined to add a second max-salary player to their roster to play alongside Amare Stoudemire, who scored 39 points Tuesday night in a victory over New Jersey to overtake Anthony for the league lead in preseason scoring. Stoudemire is averaging 26.0 points per game to Anthony's 23.5.

The Knicks would have to part with an additional asset or two to acquire a first-round draft pick to include in any deal with the Nuggets, and one New York player who has increased his value in recent days is backup point guard Toney Douglas, who had 24 points Tuesday against New Jersey after scoring 23 two nights earlier against Washington.

Gallinari and Randolph have both struggled in the preseason. Gallinari followed up his 0-for-7 performance against the Wizards with a 3-for-7 night against the Nets, while Randolph, averaging 11.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in six preseason games, scored 13 points but did not grab a single rebound. Curry, whose $11.3 million salary comes off the cap at the end of this season, has been sidelined for all six exhibition games with a strained right hamstring.

"Us being in New York is a possibility," LaLa told the Daily News' Amanda Sidman. "It depends on 'Melo's career and where it takes him. There's a lot of talk about the Knicks, I mean, there's a lot of teams out there, he's a great player and I think collectively we just need to think about what makes sense for our family. But I would never say that being in New York is not an option, I'd be lying to you if I said that."

LaLa, who is from Brooklyn, admitted that she's always been a Knicks fan "until I met my husband, then I jumped ship to the Nuggets. 'Melo will tell you, and all the players will tell you no matter where their loyalty is, there aren't many places like Madison Square Garden. They'll all say that, and it's nothing against their teams but there is a different energy in there, and you really can't top that."

All joking aside, as we've seen with Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and Elton Brand(notes), we shouldn't discount the impact that wives can have on where an NBA player ends up plying their trade. As any married man can tell you, keeping your wife happy makes a lot of other things in life go a lot smoother. If, somehow, Carmelo Anthony ends up in New York at some point in his career, don't be surprised if La La played a significant part in that choice.

I've always felt (since the wedding toast heard 'round the world) that Melo coming to the Knicks was a solid 75/25 bet.

Melo had all the leverage in the world, and if he was earnest enough in his declaration that he wanted the MSG stage (and to play alongside STAT)... then he had the power to make that happen.

Simple as that really.

The irony here is.... the whole Bosh-Lebron-Wade fiasco might end up helping the KNicks.

DENVER doesn't want to be left at the alter wondering what happened, and they're smart enough to see the writing on the wall. They also have a new GM, who isn't invested in MELO and sees this trade as the start of his grand rebuilding plan for the Nuggets.

So, here we are. Walsh playing chicken. Den playing the field, seeing what's the best possible deal on the table for them to make.

I HONESTLY FEEL a trade could happen by the end of the weekend. DEN knows that teams want to get started with the season... And when the starting gun sounds, that's where their focus will be. Every game played sort of lowers Melo's value.

If a deal goes down with the Knicks, they are best served making this trade sooner rather than later.

In essence, Curry's expiring contract is heading to Den. That much we know. After that... anybody's guess. I see it as DEN trying to get Randolph or Gallo, a 1st rounder PLUS a player from a 3rd team they covet. From the Knicks perspective, I see them trying desperately to make this deal without having to give up all 3 young prospects (Gallo, Randolph, Chandler).

Fact is... This is the NBA. If you have 2 stars, you are a contender. 3 stars and you are title worthy. STAT is a stud now. Who knows what he'll be in 3 years. Gallo and Randolph M-I-G-H-T be stars in 3 years, but who knows what they'll be like this year.

If you get a chance to pair the best scoring PF in the NBA with the best scoring SF... You do it at all costs.

Felton-Melo-Stat is a good start.

Douglas-Walker make for nice sparks off the bench.

Mozgov is basically like a lottery selection.

This is a SOLID nucleus for the next 3 years.

Hope Fields and Rautins fill out the roster, and assume we'll pull some sort of deadline deal to get a role player this Feb.

This team is good enough to get us to the 2nd round in the Eastern conference. Then we'll see what happens.

WE CAN'T AFFORD TO sit back and wait 3 years. GalloRandolph may be stars in 2013, or they may never reach their potential.

I don't want to wait for that. I want to root for Melo-Stat now. Get a shot to ruin Pat Riley's plans.

keep randolph, lose gallo. With melo on our team handling a bulk of the scoring, along with stat, why the hell do we need gallo when we have guys to shoot 3's and a versatile big like randolph. Gallo and melo play the same position.....gallo has to go.

Let's say the trade materialises, Melo gets his extension, everything's hunky dory. What happens with Melo's and Amare's salaries? Is there a mandatory income reduction under the new collective bargaining agreement? Or do the current salaries stand without any in/decrease in terms of affecting the cap?

I dont think Walsh will give up Gallo or Douglas. Douglas is our future PG and Gallo is our 3 point specialist. we need them. There not just potential there pieces we need to make a championship team.

Gallo= 3 point specialist
Dougie = Rondo like PG

I can't see Douglas being packaged at this point but I do see Gallo. TD is our only backup pg where as with Gallo we're trading away SF for SF (a better one at that). Walker is our best 3pt shooter at this point AND he is consistent.

I dont think Walsh will give up Gallo or Douglas. Douglas is our future PG and Gallo is our 3 point specialist. we need them. There not just potential there pieces we need to make a championship team.

Gallo= 3 point specialist
Dougie = Rondo like PG

My nig, 3 pt specialist come a dime a dozen.....we have andy routins who has the potential to shoot just as good as gallo. Dont let dantoni's comments about gallo being the 'best shooter' he has seen deter you from the facts.

i was on the gallo team, but i see our potential to be great if we can get melo, and maybe chris paul next year

1. STOP D*CKING me around with these trade rumors! It either happens or not

2. Toney "T-DOG" Douglas is now NOT expendable... he is part of what we need. He must bring back MORE value than he is worth for us to trade him. He Fits The Formula : YOUNG, CHEAP, and GOOD!

3. Guess what fellas.... we are now in a win-win situation, thanks to Donnie from the Bronx. Why? because we can (hopefully will) get our guy (Melo) sooner or later... AND, we most certainly will rid our club of McFlurry Curry. Now that we have Stat & Co. we are competitive... add our GM who is patient, and will refuse ANY deal that we get the short end (leverage) and we can't lose. We're already better (good), we can stand pat, or wait for an opportunity to be GREAT. we can't lose.